Tarris Reed Jr. has one key advantage in highly anticipated NBA Rookie class

Despite only playing sparingly in the season opener, San Antonio Spurs rookie Tarris Reed Jr. has a key advantage over other rookies. Reed Jr. has already shown that he is capable of being a contributor, with him averaging an impressive 9.2 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game during the preseason.

Preseason is obviously a different beast from the regular season, but he is more experienced than the typical rookie, with him already being 23 years old. He also benefits from being in a far better situation, with him playing on a contender rather than on a bad team to start his career.

Even so, late first-round or early second-round picks are often chained to the bench with no chance of playing, but he actually could play a sizeable role this season. San Antonio desperately needs a third center who can play competent minutes.

Tarris Reed Jr. has key advantage over the rest of his NBA rookie class

Between Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, they missed a combined 28 games last season. Had the Spurs had a reliable third option at center, that could have made a big difference.

Fortunately, San Antonio has learned from their mistake by trading for Reed Jr. on draft night, and he has already found his niche with the team. He is an elite rebounder, especially on the offensive glass.

In fact, he averaged an eye-popping three offensive boards in just 17 minutes during the preseason. Having him fill in for Wembanyama, or Kornet, set hard screens, crash the offensive glass, and finish through contact at the rim seems right up his alley. It also means that he can make an impact on a contender unlike most rookies in his class.

The Spurs appear to have struck gold with Tarris Reed Jr.

San Antonio should get credit for thinking outside the box to find a solution to their lack of center depth. Jayden Quaintance is their long-term option at center, and Reed Jr. is clearly a stopgap option until he can get healthy.

Fortunately, he could be far more than just a stopgap. He can actually play and will be asked to do so this season, depending on the health of their other centers.

While other rookies are playing for bad teams or trying to find minutes on good teams, he has a chance to carve out a small but consistent role on a contender. Getting him for what amounted to two second-round picks seems like a steal in retrospect, with him having the chance to fill a key role for the Spurs this season.

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